Primal Comfort
by BroodyCheery323
Summary: Klaus has taken Damon in order to send a message to Stefan... HurtDamon, ProtectiveAlaric, BrotherlyStefan, Alaric/Damon friendship WARNING: Blood sharing!
1. Chapter 1

AN: Set somewhere in the second half of season 3 but before Klaus got the coffins back. Just a bit of Hurt Damon, Protective/Best Friend Alaric, and Brotherly/Comforting Stefan. Slightly OOC and fluff ! Hints of slash, if you're wearing your slash goggles (which I always am :p)

I DO NOT OWN THE VAMPIRE DIARIES ! IF I DID WE WOULD GET AT LEAST ONE FLUFFLY DAMON/STEFAN SCENE PER EPISODE : )

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><p>They find him in one of the caverns under the Lockwood property. Klaus had finally decided to do something about Stefan's one man revenge mission. Two days. Two days Damon was missing, captured by Klaus to send a message. After all, Stefan took his family.<p>

Alaric moves carefully through the caves, the light from his flashlight only going so far ahead of him. Bonnie, Elena, and Caroline are trailing closely behind him. He would have preferred the three of them stayed back at the Salvatore house, but none of them would. And truth be told, with Damon missing, and Stefan's emotions still in question, Caroline and Bonnie were really all they had.

"Do you see anything?"

He glances over his shoulder long enough to give Elena an encouraging smile, although a strained one. He hopes she can't tell the difference.

"We'll find him, Elena."

He tries to sound reassuring, but it's hard when he's not so sure himself. Tyler had tipped them off about Damon's location but since he was sired to Klaus, there was no guarantee they'd find him here, there was also no guarantee of the condition they'd find him in.

Alaric feels movement next to him and he jerks his head around only to see Caroline making her way past him. He raises an eyebrow and she shrugs.

"Vampire – I have better eyes than you."

He feels stupid for not thinking of that before. He's worried. More worried then he wants anyone to know. If Damon... he stops that thought before it can fully process. Damon is fine. He has to be.

Caroline has moved a few feet ahead of the rest of the group. She's pushing her senses out as far as she can, searching for the much older vampire. Her vampire hearing picks up a small sound and she quickly makes in that direction. Alaric is watching her carefully and follows directly behind her.

They find him with his wrists clasped together above his head, his shirt torn, and stakes protruding from his abdomen. His skin is caked in blood and dirt and his head hangs limply. Alaric's not sure he's conscious, not sure he's even alive.

They all freeze; shocked into paralysis at the sight of the usually strong and cocky vampire now weak and vulnerable. Surprisingly, it is Bonnie who moves first (she has the least amount of personal motivation for saving the vampire).

"We have to get the stakes out," Alaric says numbly. He's moving now to help Bonnie but he feels absent, like he's only observing rather than experiencing.

Caroline reaches for one but flinches away almost immediately.

"What is it?" Elena asks frantically.

"Vervain,"

Of course there's vervain. The situation has just been made worse. Damon's lost too much blood and now vervain is running through his system. "He needs blood."

Bonnie and Alaric quickly set about removing the stakes as gently as possible, Damon doesn't even flinch. Alaric wishes he'd make some sign that he was still alive. Caroline reaches up and easily snaps the chains holding Damon. Alaric catches his limp body.

"How much blood can a vampire lose?" Elena asks the question they've all been wondering. No one has an answer.

"Has anyone called Stefan?"

Alaric's eyes harden in anger. Damon's only here because of Stefan. Because of his stubborn feud with Klaus. Still, Stefan is probably the only one who can help them right now.

"I've been calling him for two days. I've left messages but he hasn't responded to any of them."

Of course not, Alaric thanks bitterly. Klaus had taken Damon under the assumption that he was the only one Stefan still cared about. Stefan had gone so far over the edge that he didn't even care about Damon anymore.

"We need to get out of here."

Xx

Alaric sits in the back with Damon cradled against his chest. The vampire still hasn't moved. Caroline hovers over the seat, her eyes trained on Damon; she hasn't taken her eyes off him since they found him in the cave. Elena's still trying to reach Stefan. Alaric can hear her pleading with him over his voicemail; he's not hopeful.

"Stefan, please; we found Damon and... and it's not good Stefan. He's not moving and – Stefan he needs you..."

"Let it go, Elena!" he finally snaps. "Obviously he doesn't even care about his brother anymore."

He catches a glimpse of Elena's face in the mirror. Her entire expression has crumbled and her eyes shine with unshed tears. He's not sure which brother she's crying for.

Xx

The little blood that they're able to get in his mouth isn't working. There's too much vervain in his system and he's not drinking enough to counteract it. Caroline tears into blood bag after blood bag with no luck.

"He's not responding," she says needlessly.

Alaric's eyes are trained on Damon's face, searching for any response; a twitch, a hint of fangs, or of bloodshot veins around his eyes – nothing.

"C'mon, Damon! Stop being so dramatic," he pleads with his best friend.

He can't handle this. Can't stand the idea of losing the vampire. Their relationship has been rocky lately, what with Damon killing him and all, but he doesn't want to lose him. No matter what Damon has done, he's never thought of a world without the vampire in it.

The sound of the front door slamming echoes through the silent house and everyone turns toward the living room entrance. He's more surprised than he thinks he should be to see Stefan standing in the archway. He's angry.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Alaric demands while standing to block the younger vampire from Damon. "What suddenly you care?" he taunts

Stefan's eyes are hard, his face set in a serious expression. Still, something in his face is different. Alaric's too pissed off to notice.

"Get out of my way," Stefan says casually, taking another step toward his brother.

Alaric's hand shoots out to grip Stefan's forearm and the girls all watch nervously for the vampire's reaction. He looks slowly from the hand on his arm to Alaric's face.

"This is your fault! Klaus took him because of you!"

Stefan's eyes flash and there's no mistaking the pure, primal rage that takes over his face. His eyes turn slightly red and he tears his arm from Alaric's grip.

"You don't think I know that that?" He demands, surprising everyone in the room. "I know this is my fault! I know why Damon's dying right now! What I don't know is why you're standing in my way!"

A part of Alaric is still rational enough to listen to Stefan's words and he takes a small, unconscious step backwards. Stefan doesn't seem to notice.

"I get it, you're pissed! But you can either get out of my way and let me save my brother or you can stand there and let him die!"

Stefan doesn't wait for Alaric to move. Instead he pushes him aside and moves quickly to the couch where Damon's still prone body lays.

"Jesus, Damon," Stefan mumbles upon seeing his brother.

Alaric and the girls move close enough to the couch to watch Stefan. It's the first time in months any of them has seen him even resemble the Stefan they all knew. It doesn't surprise any of them that it's Damon who brings that Stefan back, however temporarily.

"He won't take blood," Caroline tells Stefan.

He nods, only somewhat listening to the blonde vampire. His attention is too focused on Damon to really listen or notice the people around him.

Stefan positions Damon so his head is lying propped up in his brother's lap. With one hand he holds Damon's head in place while the other moves to his mouth where his fangs have appeared. He bites into the wrist and quickly moves it to Damon's mouth before his accelerated healing can kick in.

"C'mon, Damon, drink!"

The bite closes and Stefan quickly bites into his wrist again. He presses his bleeding wrist more firmly against Damon's lips. Stefan growls in frustration when Damon still doesn't move to drink.

"Hold his head!" Alaric nods and his hands shoot out to keep Damon's head still. He can't help but brush the bangs gently from his forehead; the vampire looks so vulnerable.

Stefan bites into his wrist for the third time, only instead of bringing the wrist to his brother's mouth; he smears the blood on his fingers. Alaric watches curiously as Stefan gently pries his brother's mouth open. He presses the blood covered fingers against the back of Damon's gums.

Almost instantly Damon's face changes. The veins around his eyes form and his fangs drop down to knick Stefan's finger. Alaric's eyes widen while Stefan laughs half hysterically. He retracts his fingers and Damon lets out a small whimper, uncharacteristic of the strong vampire.

Stefan's brings his wrist to Damon's mouth again but this time Damon latches on, sinking his own teeth into his younger brother's bleeding wrist. Stefan flinches slightly but quickly recovers after the initial bite. His other hand moves to run his fingers through Damon's hair while Damon's hands move to hold Stefan's wrist to his mouth. Stefan shushes him gently.

Alaric slowly moves away from Damon, no longer needed to hold his head still. Stefan doesn't notice. The girls watch the exchange with wide eyes. The scene is very... intimate. They feel like their intruding. Slowly the three of them and Alaric back out of the room, leaving Stefan to take care of Damon. Neither brother notices their absence.

Damon's eyes open for the first time and he blinks up at Stefan, confused and slightly disoriented. He makes to pull away from Stefan's wrist but the younger Salvatore stops him.

"No, you need it. You've been missing for two days without blood, and with a lot of vervain in your system."

Damon still looks confused and Stefan figures he will be until he's fully healed and coherent enough to understand. A few more minutes go by and Stefan decides Damon has had enough blood, for now. He gently pulls his wrist away and Damon reluctantly lets him.

Neither says anything and Damon continues to lay with his head in Stefan's lap, Stefan's fingers running gently through his hair. They lapse into a comfortable silence which unfortunately only lasts a few minutes.

"Stefan," Damon groans out.

"Yeah?"

"Why are you petting me?"

Stefan chuckles but doesn't stop 'petting' Damon. "You almost died, deal with it."

Damon looks up at Stefan with a raised eyebrow which is ruined by the fact that he's upside down and still out of it. Stefan smiles and shakes his head. Damon's eyebrow only rises further but he lets it go with a shrug. If he's being honest, which he never is, it feels kind of nice.

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><p>Review and let me know what you thought please ! : )<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

AN: I'm taking liberties with the affects of blood sharing between vampires. Creative license!

Oh and just so everyone knows – I have NO idea where this is going. I'm basically just winging it so bear with me please, updates may take a bit.

I OWN NOTHING! ;)

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><p>He wakes up in his bed, wearing nothing but a pair of jogging pants. His head hurts and he can't seem to grasp his memories from last night. He remembers being on the couch, Alaric, and ... Stefan? The thought barely registers and he's already certain his brother had been here.<p>

Damon groans and sinks further into his pillows. What the hell happened yesterday?

He closes his eyes and is immediately assaulted with a vision of Klaus standing, smirking in front of him with a stake in his hand. He feels the edge of panic creeping in around him as the stake comes closer toward - His eyes shoot open and the vision fades.

What. The. Hell?

"Hey, you're up."

Damon's head jerks around to his bedroom door where Alaric is leaning against the door. His face is a mask of concern but Damon is more focused on the cup in his hand, or more importantly, what he smells _inside _the cup.

"Aw, Ric, you brought me breakfast in bed. How domestic of you," Damon taunts, trademark smirk in place.

Alaric rolls his eyes as he moves toward the bed. "Well I see you're feeling better." He says as he hands the cup over.

Damon doesn't answer but his eyes shine with amusement over the rim of the glass. Alaric can't help the amused chuckle.

Damon finishes off the glass quickly, too quickly really, and sets it down on his bedside table. He turns to Alaric who has now perched on the side of Damon's bed, concern evident on his face.

"Seriously man, how you feeling?"

Damon frowns. "Fine, I think. My head hurts."

Alaric nods. "Stefan said that would probably happen."

So Stefan had been here as Damon expected. "So Stefan was here then?" He asks out loud

Alaric frowns and the concern on his face becomes more prominent. His eyes move over Damon's face, assessing him for... something. Damon's not sure what.

"You don't remember Stefan being here?"

Damon rolls his eyes. "Of course I remember him being here. I was just double checking," he continues at Ric's sceptical look. "Okay, so it's a little blurry, but I know he was here!"

"What else don't you remember?"

Xx

Alaric spends the next hour filling Damon in on what happened the last couple of days, at least the parts he knows anyway. They don't really know what Klaus wanted, or what he did to Damon, although it's not hard to piece together considering how they found him.

Damon listens silently as Alaric explains the past two days. So the dick hybrid had captured him and from the sounds of it tortured him; Damon was glad his memory was foggy on that part. Klaus had been alive for thousands of years; he'd probably picked up some creative torture techniques.

"So Stefan saved my ass huh? What'd he do that you as an expert vampire hunter couldn't figure out?"

Alaric glared without any heat. "I get the feeling your mocking me." Damon made a dramatic display of being shocked at the accusation and Alaric just rolled his eyes. "He gave you blood."

"You couldn't figure that one out yourself? Geeze Ric, I may have to consider looking for a new partner in crime."

"If you'd shut up long enough for me to finish... He gave you _his _blood."

Damon's eyes widened noticeably. "Great..."

Xx

Stefan was at the abandoned house, once again trying to open the locked coffin. He couldn't shake the feeling that whatever was inside was important. He had to get it open or this would never end. He'd never be safe; Damon would never be safe...

He shook his head in an effort to clear the images of Damon's still body. Contrary to what Elena and Alaric believe, he hadn't ignored his brother being in danger; he'd simply ignored the messages that would have told him his brother was in danger. He'd assumed it wasn't important...

"Still saving me huh?"

Stefan sighs and clenches his eyes shut. He's not sure what kind of mood he's going to find Damon in when he turns around. He's sure by now that Alaric has told him what happened.

"_Can't really ignore me now, can you brother?"_

Stefan turns around abruptly and fixes Damon with a steely glare. "Don't do that," he grounds out between clenched teeth.

Damon shrugs innocently. "You did it, not me."

"I'm sorry, Damon. Next time I'll let you die." He responds sarcastically.

"Yeah, right, I'm fairly certain we can trace everything that has happened throughout the last 145 years to the fact that you can't let me die."

He doesn't sound angry. Not like before when Stefan revealed that he'd stopped Damon from killing Klaus to protect him from the sired hybrids. Stefan can't place the tone, or Damon's mood. It makes him uneasy.

"Are you alright?"

Damon nods in place of answering. Stefan accepts it with a slight nod of his own. He's not sure why Damon's here or what he's supposed to say.

"He wanted the coffins, Klaus." After talking to Alaric a lot of the past two days has come back to him, although it's all still a little foggy.

Stefan nodded again. "I figured as much." He pauses to study his brother. He looks normal, but still Stefan can see flashes of his still, bleeding body. Last night brought him back to when Damon was bitten by Tyler, back to 1864 when he watched Damon get shot and fall down, dead. He'd looked the same all three times. Stefan can't handle it again.

"I think you should leave."

Damon looks confused. "What are you-"

"Mystic Falls, Damon. I think you, and Elena, Alaric, Caroline, Bonnie... all of you! You need to pack up and get the hell out of here. It's not safe."

Damon laughs. He actually laughs.

"Are you kidding me? Do you actually think I'm going to leave town because of Klaus?"

"Yes, Damon! Look what happened! You almost died; I sat there holding your dying body!"

Damon rolls his eyes. "Nobody seems to understand what a vampire is ... I'm already dead Stefan!"

"It's not the same thing and you know it! I'm talking dead as in no longer existing. Just gone!"

Damon looks annoyed and it pisses Stefan off. He can feel his brother's nonchalant attitude and it makes him angry to know that it isn't just an act, Damon truly doesn't care that he almost died, that he almost left Stefan!

"You really don't care." It's not a question.

"You'd know now wouldn't you? After all, you can _feel _it." His tone has turned slightly bitter.

"Yeah, Damon I can feel it! I can feel you. Which means that when you inevitably get yourself killed because of your stubborn pride, I'm going to feel that to, and it's going to kill me!"

Damon's face softens completely. He can't even bring himself to be angry with Stefan for creating a mind link between them. Not when his brother looks and sounds the way he does now – broken. If there was ever any question about whether Stefan's emotions were on or not, it was just answered. But it doesn't mean he's going to pack up and leave.

"And how do you think I'm going to feel when one day you get killed because of your Klaus vendetta and I feel it half way across the world?"

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><p>Review and let me know what you though please! : )<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Okay, so I really had no idea where I was going with any of this. Seriously, none whatsoever; hence the reason this chapter took forever to come out. That being said, I tried to wrap this up as best as possible considering I never really planned any of this – my bad, definitely not doing that again. I hope this doesn't suck too much... Rather OOC but whatever lol !

AN: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING!

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><p>He has to bite back the urge to snap at him that he probably wouldn't care at all. How many times had Damon shown him that he hated him? Killed someone he cared about? Promised him an eternity of misery? Stefan doesn't blame him for these things, not really. After all, he's the one who forced this life on Damon.<p>

Even if Klaus did kill him, which Stefan wasn't delusional enough to think he wouldn't, Damon would probably be better off. Maybe he'd finally be able to find some peace in his life. Maybe even with Elena...

Damon glared heatedly at him. "You do realize I can _hear _you, right?"

Stefan feels the overwhelming desire to slap his hand against his forehead. "I forgot," he mumbles instead.

Damon doesn't say anything. His face is set in an expression Stefan can't read. He's stuck on what he heard in Stefan's thoughts. He was struck by the knowledge that Stefan still thought he hated him, enough to not cafe if his little brother died! Damon took an unconscious step toward his brother and fixed his eyes on his.

"Do you seriously believe that?" He asked.

Stefan looked confused, and slightly weary. Everything about this interaction with his brother felt off. It didn't help that they were both completely mentally exposed to one another; their minds linked by the blood exchange.

"_Stefan..."_

Something in his brother's eyes had Stefan feeling uneasy. There wasn't anger, bitterness, sarcasm... nothing he'd generally associated with Damon. His brother looked... sad. Stefan nodded.

"How could you not?"

The conviction is Stefan's voice is what does it for him. He steps closer to his brother, breathing in the same air as him with how close they are standing. Stefan looks at him, weary of whatever he's going to do (and doesn't Damon just hate that) but he doesn't step back.

"I don't hate you, Stefan."His brother looks ready to protest but Damon cuts him off, _"Listen to me, Stefan. You can feel it!" _

Stefan's instincts scream not to embrace Damon's presence in his mind. The vampire in him is untrusting of what it considers a threat to his preservation. But the Stefan that is Damon's baby brother just craves the comfort his big brother, in spite of everything, has always been able to provide.

It's that part of Stefan that doesn't hesitate. He feels himself reach out for Damon mentally; connecting with his brother in a much stronger sense, and allowing himself to feel what his brother feels.

He stumbles against the sudden wave of emotions that aren't his and memories that aren't in his perspective. He sees everything, feels everything – Damon isn't holding back. He sees himself the day he was born, the first time Damon held him, his younger self crawling into Damon's bed after a nightmare, running through the gardens...

The memories speed up and Stefan sees them when they're older; playing catch, riding horses, Damon going off to the war...

He sees Katherine. Damon's mind plays these memories the quickest. He feels the anger, the jealousy... but under it all he feels affection and love, but not for Katherine...

He sees their years as vampires. Sees himself through Damon's eyes when he hadn't even known Damon had been watching. Damon was never very far away from him...

Stefan is hit with 164 years worth of memories and the emotions that go along with them are overwhelming. But Damon doesn't hate him.

It goes against his very nature to show Stefan this; to let Stefan fully into his mind – to let _anyone _in – but Stefan needs to see. Needs to understand. He hates that this is necessary, but if this is what it takes for Stefan to finally realize that he doesn't hate him than Damon will push through it, for Stefan.

It's weird. Their mind link goes both ways so while Stefan is getting Damon's emotions, Damon is getting Stefan's reactions to it... It hurts his head to think about it. He's never felt so vulnerable, so exposed, before. It helps a little to know he's not the only one.

Damon feels it when Stefan finally understands

He pulls his mind back at the same time Stefan does; both of them feeling too exposed from the raw emotion that comes from sharing a mind link. Damon's watching Stefan closely. His brother's eyes are glazed over with what Damon suspects are tears but he doesn't mention it; he expects his own eyes aren't dry either.

"Can we-" Stefan's voice is thick with emotion, "Can we not do that again?"

Damon chuckles; grateful for their brief break from the emotion. "Sure thing, brother."

Stefan smiles.

They lapse into silence. It isn't tense or awkward. It's actually kind of a welcome escape from the intensity. They can still feel each other so Damon knows there's nothing he needs to worry about, for the time being anyway.

"_I don't hate you, Stefan."_

Maybe it's redundant after the memory lane slide show, but with Stefan you kind of need to talk something to death before he _might _get it. And this isn't something Damon's willing to do half-way.

"_I know."_

And doesn't that just make it all worth it. Getting tortured by Klaus, the mind link, the touchy feely moment, the vulnerability... But Stefan finally _knows._

"Let's go home,"

Stefan nods and they fall into step beside each other. They're standing a little closer than normal, their shoulders bumping as they walk, but Damon needs the contact and he's pretty sure Stefan does too.

Well, no. He knows Stefan does too – can feel it.

"Yeah, I'm going to have to look into that. Maybe judgy knows something,"

Stefan laughs. _"Good luck with that," _

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><p>Review and let me know what you thought, please ! : )<p> 


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